Ma Jia Wen Outstrikes Yohan Mulia Legowo En Route To TKO Victory
Featherweight fighters Ma Jia Wen of Tianjin, China, and Yohan Mulia Legowo of Solo, Indonesia, went head-to-head Saturday night, 11 March, on the undercard of ONE: WARRIOR KINGDOM. The bout took place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
The pair put on an absolute show for fans in attendance, showcasing intense striking exchanges as well as high-level wrestling and grappling. In the end, it was the Chinese featherweight standout Ma who ended up with the thrilling technical knockout victory in the first round.
Known for his fast and furious starts, Ma went straight at Legowo and opened up with a fierce punching combination, punctuated by a high kick that landed right on Legowo’s temple. The Indonesian’s durability was surprising, however, as he appeared hardly shaken from Ma’s onslaught.
It soon became clear that Ma possessed the advantage on the feet, and that Legowo would have to take the fight to the ground in order to have a shot.
On the mat, Legowo exhibited tremendous ground control, effortlessly transitioning into various dominant positions which left Ma in bewilderment. Legowo was unable to inflict much damage, however, as Ma defended well off his back.
In the second round, Ma made sure to avoid going back to the ground at all costs where he knew he was at a disadvantage, and instead began to tee off on Legowo, connecting on a devastating stream of punches and elbows. A flying knee landed and staggered Legowo, pushing him back further against the cage fence.
Sensing the finish was near, Ma turned up the aggression, and Legowo could no longer defend himself from the blistering combinations.
The end came officially at 0:59 of round two, as Olivier Coste stepped in to save Legowo from further punishment. Legowo appeared to contest the stoppage, but the instant replay showed Ma connecting on nearly every strike he attempted.
With the victory, Ma improved his overall record to 4-2, while Legowo drops to 8-6. The win earned Ma his second-straight technical knockout finish, coming after he stopped Filipino Jimmy Yabo in three rounds at ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD last August.
